Tank
Heat Winner
Posts: 555
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Post by Tank on Dec 15, 2012 14:35:15 GMT -5
These will hold a decently stout bumper if the frame is built right. Mine hold fine to loaded box ford bumpers. Imo a stock 80'ssteel ford bumper is too weak. I smashed one flat in one run. Lesson learned. Cut the skin, plated the backing inside and some 3/4" plate gussets and welded on a new skin. Holding up good so far. Too hard of a front bumper and they nose out too fast. I prefer a softer front bumper on them. Something that is still stout but also has some give.
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Post by XtremeMopar#307 on Dec 15, 2012 15:03:31 GMT -5
heres an 80s caddy I'm helping build for the 80s heat in Mandan, ND Team Destruction redid the original bumper shocks and shoved them into the frame as far as they could go so that the front mounting plate was flush with the frame, then hardnosed a seem welded 74 newport rear bumper on the front of it, frame is welded a arm forward, trunk is tucked and notched in 2 places.... any key points we've missed?
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Vito324
Feature Winner
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Posts: 2,189
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Post by Vito324 on Dec 15, 2012 15:21:23 GMT -5
Can you tilt?
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Post by XtremeMopar#307 on Dec 15, 2012 15:23:15 GMT -5
cold bending only but no way to get height back since we cant weld suspension solid... spring spacers only but cant get much with those
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Post by STROMI 121 on Dec 15, 2012 16:39:59 GMT -5
Can you replace the springs with truck springs?
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marlin42
Heat Winner
not a hobby, but a way of life....
Posts: 302
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Post by marlin42 on Dec 15, 2012 17:06:18 GMT -5
Also can bolt your suspension instead of welding it? It's a pain in the butt, but we got our a-arms bolted down with 1/2 inch bolts last year in a bolt and chain.
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Post by XtremeMopar#307 on Dec 15, 2012 17:58:44 GMT -5
will look for truck springs, cant bolt suspension either.... it sits at 22 to middle of the bumper right now, i run my mopars about 25 to that so to me it seems low but idk how that is to you caddy guys.... humps will be chains so will probly get another inch up front by doing that
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Post by derbydan on Dec 15, 2012 23:21:21 GMT -5
These will hold a decently stout bumper if the frame is built right. Mine hold fine to loaded box ford bumpers. Imo a stock 80'ssteel ford bumper is too weak. I smashed one flat in one run. Lesson learned. Cut the skin, plated the backing inside and some 3/4" plate gussets and welded on a new skin. Holding up good so far. Too hard of a front bumper and they nose out too fast. I prefer a softer front bumper on them. Something that is still stout but also has some give. Hey Tank I totaly respect your input on these metric caddies.what about a front off of about a 78 or 9 cutlass. It mirrors the stock bumper off this 79 but steel instead of aluminum. I have it mocked up with long shock mounts from a chrysler with the GM mounting plates and shoved as deep as they will go into the frame and butted up or hardnosed right to the end of the frame. those bracket go all the way in till it makes its bend. Im building this car for a pretty much stock show. no plateing or welding on the frame whatsoever except for bumper brackets. oh and it has plastic inner fenders. lose em and just leave all the little cheesy braces that are around the inners?
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Post by car185 on Dec 17, 2012 14:46:48 GMT -5
I would ditch the inner fenders and the braces... They dont help with anything.
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Post by STROMI 121 on Dec 17, 2012 14:56:53 GMT -5
...unless you replace them with metal ones and weld them to the fenders. JMO
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Tank
Heat Winner
Posts: 555
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Post by Tank on Dec 17, 2012 21:32:45 GMT -5
Too hard of a front bumper and they nose out too fast. I prefer a softer front bumper on them. Something that is still stout but also has some give. Hey Tank I totaly respect your input on these metric caddies.what about a front off of about a 78 or 9 cutlass. It mirrors the stock bumper off this 79 but steel instead of aluminum. I have it mocked up with long shock mounts from a chrysler with the GM mounting plates and shoved as deep as they will go into the frame and butted up or hardnosed right to the end of the frame. those bracket go all the way in till it makes its bend. Im building this car for a pretty much stock show. no plateing or welding on the frame whatsoever except for bumper brackets. oh and it has plastic inner fenders. lose em and just leave all the little cheesy braces that are around the inners? Thanks. Haven't seen the metric Cutlass bumpers up close but sounds ok. My ideal bumper for these are the 76/77 nova/Malibu bumpers. I don't know how beneficial the shocks shoved in the frame if the rear of the shocks are tied into the frame somehow. If you can should help out a lot. Loose the the plastic inner fenders and the braces.
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Post by oldtrx on Dec 20, 2012 3:37:43 GMT -5
I don't see why you would want to lose the braces? Rearrange them mine haven't gotten into anything and every little reinforcement helps
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Tank
Heat Winner
Posts: 555
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Post by Tank on Dec 20, 2012 13:25:45 GMT -5
They really aren't worth a shit for strength and will only get into things at some point.
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Post by oldtrx on Dec 21, 2012 2:27:15 GMT -5
im just gonna keep running mine like this. This car has 2 heat wins, another heat, a consi, and two hard feature heats and has yet to have them get into anything
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Tank
Heat Winner
Posts: 555
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Post by Tank on Dec 21, 2012 15:16:29 GMT -5
Those pieces in a really add $hit for strength and they only have the possibility of getting into stuff for no gain.
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